


Living a Legacy

by radiowrittenheart



Category: Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Boxing & Fisticuffs, Canon-Typical Violence, Coming of Age, Family, Gen, High School, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Original Character-centric, Second Generation, Secret Identity, Sibling Rivalry, Swearing, Teenage Drama, cameos from other characters - Freeform, gifted it cause those two put up w/ me and my crazy ideas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-17 02:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5851369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiowrittenheart/pseuds/radiowrittenheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What you three are going to start doing will change your life forever.”</p><p>“Being a teenager or saving the world?”</p><p>“Both. Definitely both.”</p><p>There is a new hero, sidekick and wiseman walking down the aisle of The Odyssey. One thinks with her fists, the other uses her heart, while the final uses his imagination - not unlike their predecessors. This new trio will not only battle the forces of evil, but also the trainwreck of life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. {prologue} eye-opener

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts), [ruff_ethereal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruff_ethereal/gifts).



> *smashes mega Monster can against my forehead* LETS FUKKIN DO THIS SHIT ... *ahem* i've had these characters and ideas bottled up into my mind for far too long, so here goes nothing. let's see how far i can go with fucking this up.
> 
> ©Xena Penelope, Loralei Athena and Xander Leo Zero are property of me
> 
> (p.s. -- the penashi in this is basically non-existent. the only reason i tagged it as such is because, yeah, they're married and have kids, but they won't be a huge part of the story.)
> 
> enjoy

Loralei had pretended to not hear the rustling of sheets, or the creaking of the window. Then again, the loud shuffling and “oof” was rather hard to ignore. Still, she laid in bed, staring at the wall until the noises stopped. Nothing but the sounds of eerie ambiance in the early morning hours.

It was then when she slid out of her bed, sliding across the floor in her fluffy pink socks.

She peered out the window, and noticed that damage had been done with all the gracefulness of an ox. Bushes were smashed, muddy footprints were on the sidewalk, disappearing and fading further down the way- a sigh escaped her.

She had a hunch this would happen, but she didn’t want to believe it.

Grabbing a pen and paper from the bureau, she scribbled out a note; “Sisterly emergency” and added a smiley face, for good measure. It was really a plea, a simple way of saying _ “please don’t ground me and understand what’s going on here” _ before she crept through the house and placed the note on the fridge.

Shoving her shoes on and grabbing a hoodie for the road, Loralei didn’t even need to figure anything out.

_ She knew. _

Middleburg was serene this time of evening, as was any other small town. But the soft yellow and blue glow of streetlights, with the occasional car or two whizzing by, gave a good mix of suburbia and inner city.

And of course, like any area, it had it’s abandoned buildings.

Or so most thought.

One single letter of the The Odyssey’s sign was lit - the second S as a beacon. A bittersweet smile made it’s way across Loralei’s expression as she shivered and knocked three times. Without any sign of a person, the door creaked open and the dark theater was a playground for anyone with a sense of curiosity. Naturally, Loralei always had one, but it grew now that she was on the hunt.

“Xena?” she hissed.

A swore slipped past her lips in a hushed whisper, and she gently trod across the tacky red velvet carpet. The box office was deserted … although, the popcorn machine going off was a sign that someone was home.

One door was hanging on it’s hinges, Loralei made a mental note to trash it or fix it- whichever came first.

She snuck past it, and winced the brightness of the screen-

-the screen? It was on. With her hazel eyes squinted behind her horn-rimmed glasses, Loralei heard familiar voices. Voices that were far too familiar.

_ “You’re reading my mind! Do you know what means?” _

_ “No - but be quiet so I can read your mind and find out! ...I still have no idea!” _

_ “Okay, let’s crunch some skulls!” _

A rueful laugh escaped Loralei, and she looked up. Goodness. She felt like she was five years old all over again.

Then, another familiar voice; “Ugh. Seen it a million times.”

The screen flipped from one scene, to the next, and the next, and the next. In the back row, Loralei chose a seat on the edge, right next to the aisle. She sat back, her gaze dodging between the screen and the only other person watching the “show” (so to speak). These were programs embedded in her brain since childhood; rather than bedtime stories of glass-slipped maidens and boys who never grew up, she was fed tales of heroism and daring adventures.

As was someone else…

“Don’t stalk your own sister. That’s just freakin’ weird.”

Loralei sighed. She had been caught. “Technically,” she piped up. “It’s not stalking. We’re twins. I’m basically programmed to be there for you.”

Grumbles and popcorn munching was a pathetic reply.

_ “If you die on me, I’ll kill you!” _

_ “That’s kind of contradictory-” _

_ “Oh, would you two quit flirting for a minute?!” _

A few seconds of silence passed, and eventually, Loralei made her way to the front row, skidding her way down the aisle before she situated herself in the front row. Of course, she wasn’t given a warm welcome. Not that she expected one.

“Bet you already ratted me out,”

“No,” Loralei said. “But I did leave a note. I am the responsible one, after all.”

“Can’t argue with that-”

“Xena.”

The firmness and softness mixing together gave Loralei an odd tone of voice, but one that made her sister perk up nonetheless. The clips kept playing one-by-one, iconic quotes they both had memorized. They simply became background noise as the two girls sat in silence, dodging each other’s glances.

Loralei repeated her sister’s name, with much more tenderness this time around. “Why did you sneak out?” she asked.

Xena snorted, propping her feet up on the back of the chair in front of them. “I dunno,” she grumbled.

“Were you planning on coming back in the morning?” she pressed.

“What - like I had a choice?”

It took a moment, but the statement sunk in for Loralei and she recoiled like she had been hit. But this wound hurt far more than any physical one her twin sister could inflict upon her. “Well,” she muttered. “It’s your fifteenth birthday too, you know. You should be excited.”

Slowly switching positions again, Xena curled up into a ball with the popcorn bowl balancing on her bony knees.

“Why?” she spat out.

“Why?” Loralei rebuked. “Because. We’re fifteen, Xena. We’re going to go to school together again, we’re going to learn how to drive and we'll have so much more freedom-”

Xena frowned, hands shooting up to her ears to cover them. “And responsibilities,” she snapped.

Loralei shrugged. “Alright, that’s true, but-”

Xena shook her head- and she looked ten years old all over again. Scared, anxious and fidgeting. “Y-you don’t get it, Leia,” she stammered. “Not stupid stuff like keeping our grades up and doing chores. That… that’s going to be us.” A bandage-covered hand pointed to the screen. “Dodging explosions. Saving worlds. That kind of responsibility.”

After a single, painstakingly long moment of silence, Loralei burst into giggles.

“Yeah, right,” she said. “Mom said we can do missions when she’s dead. Plus, we have to wait three days, just to make sure she’s actually dead.”

Loralei continued to laugh, not noticing her twin sister’s expression go stone cold-

-and then, it hit her. Literally. A few swears echoed off of the bare walls of the abandoned theater, and screams soon followed as Xena practically launched herself off of the chair. Both teenage girls went tumbling onto the floor, rolling around and tackling each other, getting the occasional hit or two in.

“What the he-” Loralei squeaked as she was punched in the shoulder. “Ooh, that’s gonna hurt in the morning.”

She growled, getting a good grip around her sister’s waist and slamming her down on the floor. They tousled for a few more moments, until Loralei found her breath again; “What the hell is your problem?!”

Her shriek was probably loud enough for all of Middleburg to hear.

Xena froze, spilling out a cough. “Get your fat ass off of me,” she replied.

Loralei kneed her sister in the shin one last time before getting up. “Now,” she declared. “What’s your damage?”

“My damage,” Xena groaned. “Is that my twin is an idiot.”

“What are you talking about?” Loralei said. “You’re the one who just started beating me when I laughed at your joke-”

“It wasn’t a joke!”

Suddenly, Xena’s edge was back. She was the street-fighting, back-talking girl all over again. She breathed heavily, and her blue eyes were so dark in the theater lighting, they almost seemed black. Both hands flew up to her pixie cut red hair, yanking at it in frustration. “Tomorrow morning, when our birthday starts, like, we’re actually fifteen, we’re gonna take after Mom and Dad,” she said.

A groan escaped Loralei. “Enough with the jokes already,”

Xena let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not lying!” she said. “I heard Mom and Dad going on about it last week, and y’know, I thought whatever. But now-” She inhaled sharply, staring at her sister. “-now we’re gonna be fifteen. Today, or tomorrow, or whatever, is here.”

Loralei went still, staring down her sister.

Five minutes between them, destined to be side-by-side. Maybe it was meant to be. Twins, being the hero and sidekick. 

What a laughable destiny.

“Do you want to do that?” Xena muttered, gesturing to the screen.

There was a pause, heavy and lingering in the air. Loralei side-stepped away from her sister, walking over to the screen and standing on the warp pad, the spot meant for the sidekick. A deep breath coursed through her, and she stood still, hands folded in front of her. She watched the screen attentively, one of their parents’ more recent adventures. The ones their mother did occasionally, but no longer regularly.

_ “You’ve never lost your touch.” _

_ “I guess I could say the same for you.” _

“We don’t have a touch,” Xena piped up.

For some reason, Loralei found herself wiping away tears from underneath her glasses, tilting to one side as the tape in the middle wore off. “So?” she said, turning on her heels to face her sister. “Xena, we could do that.”

Xena scowled; “Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, they were legends. What are we?”

“Descendants of legends,” Loralei rebuked.

Xena made a fake gagging noise. “Oh, please,” she scoffed.

Loralei rolled her eyes. “We’re more prepared than they ever were in the beginning,” she said. “We grew up with dreams that’s what we could do. That we could save the world someday. Hero and sidekick weren’t just titles to us, they were dreams-”

As expected, Xena covered her ears and turned away.

“Don’t make me hit you in the back of the head, older sister,” Loralei snapped.

“Ohmygod,” Xena groaned. “It was five minutes.”

“Still,” Loralei said, noticing her sister slowly listen. “Come on, Xena. You’re not gonna try?”

Xena went still, her fingers with chipped nail polish twitching. Her eyes were screwed shut, and she kicked the fraying carpet, causing it to flop over. “I feel like we’re gonna screw up on our first try,” she spoke up. “You know what Dad says, our last name is Zero, ‘cause we’ve failed zero missions. That includes the ‘missions’ in real life, too. How are we gonna balance both, Loralei?”

Loralei sighed, making her way back to her sister. Placing a single hand on her sister’s shoulder was enough to get Xena to keel; whipping around and diving in for a hug

Fraternal twins, to the core. From appearance to personality, the two sisters knew they couldn’t be more different.

That was what made them click.

“Look,” Xena muttered. “I’ll keep you from dying or whatever. But on one condition,”

“What?” Loralei retorted.

“I get to be the hero.”

Loralei gave a sarcastic huff. “Fine, I guess I could deal with that,” she teased.

Xena gave her sister a punch in the arm as they separated. “Besides,” she muttered. “You’re the one with the glasses.”

A laugh, an appropriate one, slipped past Loralei’s lips, and she shook her head. “Yeah, but they’re gonna get busted within the first hour of kicking butt,” she playfully jousted.

“Actually,” Xena mused. “I broke ‘em this time.”

“Shoot,” Loralei slid the glasses off, inspecting them. One side was just barely hanging on, and she winced.

“Sorry,”

“Hey, I busted your lip,”

“We’re so mean to each other.”

Loralei cracked a smile, and shook her head. “We’ve got each other’s backs,” she declared.

In the dim lighting of the theater, the blood trickling down Xena’s chin glowed just as brightly as her smile. Loralei returned the grin, and the twins headed back to their seats, watching the greatest action movie ever. And this time, they very well knew that their story would be next up on the screen.


	2. {i} set it off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today was no joke for Loralei and Xena.

“Mom said I can have all of your cake if you don’t get out of bed,” was the wake-up call for the girls.

Xena groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. “Go ahead,” she muttered. “Our very existence is a joke, anyway.” She heard Loralei’s laughter from across the room. “Too soon? Oh, well-” She let out a whine of protest as the blanket was yanked off of her body. “Xander, you twerp. Give that back right now or I swear-”

Being the twelve-year-old menace he was, Xander took the blanket and wrapped it around his neck like a cape. “Happy April Fool’s Day,” he said, giving a two-finger salute as he ran out.

“Shit,” Xena grumbled. “ _Fine,_ ”

“Everyone’s already here!” Xander yelled.

The alarm clock between the girls’ beds read 11:30 am. Xena swore again and took the pillow out from under her head, throwing it at her sister and smacking Loralei in the face.

Loralei whined, hugging the pillow close.

“Yo,” Xena said. “Get up. It's our own fault for coming back at two in the morning. Put your twenty pounds of makeup on and move it.”

“We should be allowed to sleep all day on our birthday,” Loralei retorted as she slid out of bed, trudging her way into the adjoining bathroom. It was clear to see she was not a morning person, curses echoing in their bedroom and drawers being slammed.

Xena didn’t bother even changing, except for her shirt.

Loralei peered in, and silently judged her sister’s clothes. “A t-shirt that says ‘question authority’,” she deadpanned. “When our mother is a police officer.”

With an apathetic shrug, Xena tossed her sister a peasant blouse and bell-bottoms.

“Shut up and do your thing, I’ll do mine,” she said right before bounding downstairs.

A few deep breaths coursed through Loralei as she rushed through getting ready; almost poking herself in the eye with the liner pencil, not bothering to brush her mop of curly hair, and nearly tripping down the stairs while adjusting the straps of her heels. No occasion deserved to be dressed down for. For a second, Loralei stopped, gently touching her glasses.

Hopefully, Xena was right. Maybe today was the day she’d get a good, solid pair of glasses full of potential.

Once she reached downstairs, slightly blushing at the fact all eyes were on her, Xena slid over, taking her sister’s hand and lifting them in the air.

“Ladies of honor, in the house!” she declared. “Zeroes and Kobayashis, you’re all here to celebrate our awesomeness, thankyouverymuch.”

Both girls each had a firm, strong hand placed on their shoulders, and their father stood behind them, with a grin that all three of them shared. Penn laughed, ruffling his daughters’ hair. They all dove in for a hug, gaining a few cheesy _“aw”_ ’s from both sides of the family. As expected, Xena protested and Loralei accepted the affection with humble embarrassment.

Penn may have actually wiped a genuine tear as he spoke up, “How did you two turn fifteen?”

“Easy,” Xena mused. “You and Mom put up with us for that long.”

With an amused roll of his eyes, Penn couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “This is only the beginning for you two, okay?” he said. “Don’t wish to grow up. Stay this way for me.”

Loralei gave a smirk. “We’ll try, but no guarantees,” she assured.

“Enough small talk!” Xena declared. “I want cake for breakfast already.”

Of course, nothing was that cut and dry. The twins found themselves making more than a few rounds with members of the family, all of which who showed up. It was this way every year for the girls, and honestly, they wouldn’t change a thing. (The disaster known as their sixth birthday was never spoken of.) Finally, once everything was settled, they all lounged around the house as Xena and Loralei began to open the decently-sized pile of gifts on the coffee table in the living room.

Due to their hilariously unintentional birthday, each girl received a gag gift every year.

Xena had been given a set of toy nunchucks, much to the demise of her parents, and Loralei a pair of knitting needles, nothing more. Other gifts were simple things; gift cards, money (Brock was never creative), clothes, they blew through the presents until the table was empty.

Just as Loralei was about to express her thanks, one last small box was dropped between her and her sister. Xena looked back, grinning at who had thrown the gift.

“I was wondering where our present from you was hiding, Aunt Phyllis,” she mused.

“Had to make finishing touches,” Phyllis said nonchalantly. “This is for both of you. You can decide who really wants it.”

Loralei was the one who hesitated, but Xena instantly snatched it up, taking a glance at the tag tied to the mess of a ribbon on the small box. She hesitated a moment, then held it out. Loralei looked down, noticing her name written first. Just like school and doctor records, alphabetically. With a shaking hand, she ripped the ribbon off, and Xena was the one to reach out and take the top off.

Needless to say, what was inside surprised them both - for a reason no one expected.

“A pocketwatch,” Xena muttered.

“Did you make this yourself?” Loralei piped up, trying to sound more grateful.

In all truthfulness, it really was very nice. A classy silver pocketwatch, with the slashed zero on top, tinted with blue and outlined in what looked like real gold.

Phyllis nodded. “Open it,” she urged.

Twisting the top latch, Loralei found herself absolutely speechless. Xena was the exact opposite, stammering and stuttering like a fool. It was clear to see that this was no ordinary pocketwatch; for a hologram appeared right before everyone. The slashed zero spun around infinitely, and the twin sisters looked at each other, slack-jawed.

“Is this,” Loralei stammered.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her mother.

“Three generations of heroes,” Sashi said. “What do you say?”

She was wearing the specs now, as opposed to her usual cats-eye glasses. The kids had only seen her wear them in photographs and clips, and the girls’ shock was clear for them to see their mother so bold, so much like her old self. Hair down, clever smile, bright eyes hidden behind advanced technology.

Xena let out a whoop, bouncing on the couch and practically tackling Phyllis into a hug.

The entire family burst into a flurry of congratulations for the twins, but Loralei was absolutely frozen, clutching the pocketwatch tightly in her hands and a shaking smile on her expression.

“Do you mean it?” she whispered, glancing up to her mother.

“I trust you two,” Sashi said softly. “Take care of yourselves … and your brother.”

It took Loralei a minute, but Xena instantly perked up, rushing over to Xander and putting him in a headlock to give him a noogie. She laughed; “You hear that, little bro? You better not break that brain of yours!”

Xander gave a small smirk. “If you don’t break my neck first,” he retorted.

As Penn gently separated the two, he gave a nod to his wife. Sashi stopped for a moment, before clearing her throat and began to talk; “Fifteen years ago, I was scared. Fifteen years later, I’m still scared. But now, I know one thing for sure:  as violent, stubborn, and young as my girls are, they’re ready. They grew up with all of this, knowing heroes and sidekicks weren’t just stories in comic books. So,” A sigh escaped her as she smiled at both of her daughters. “I’m proud to declare my daughters, Xena and Loralei, as the new part-time hero and sidekick of the Zero family.”

“Zero-Kobayashi,” Loralei quipped, giving a shy smile.

Sashi grinned, taking her daughter’s hand and lifting her to her feet. She beckoned Xena and Penn over, with Xander right on their heels.

“And yes,” she said, with a chuckle. “Xander, you’ll be their occasional Wiseman.”

“High-five, little dude-bro,” Boone whispered from his seat on the arm of the couch.

Xander high-fived his honorary uncle, watching with awe as his sisters accepted the role of a lifetime.

“Hey,” Penn muttered. “Don’t cry in front of the whole family, Sash.”

“Shut up,” Sashi laughed. She sighed, and gently slid off her specs. “They’re useless now, all of the technology has been placed into that-” She gestured to the pocketwatch. “-but they’re far more durable than your regular glasses.”

Loralei’s smile was from ear to ear as she whipped off her horn-rimmed glasses, sliding on the specs.

Xena slapped her sister on the back, and they shared a grin.

“So, Xena,” Loralei mused. “Scared of growing up?”

“You wish, sis,” Xena retorted.

Right here, right now, with their entire family backing them, seeing the pride and joy in their parents’ eyes and knowing they had such an exciting future ahead of them? Not scary at all. Not one bit. They were going into this head-first and as prepared as they could be.

Penn raised a finger, getting his girls’ attention; “Now, remember, what you three are going to start doing will change your life forever.”

“Being a teenager or saving the world?” Xena asked, with a slight tilt of her head.

“Both,” Sashi said. “Definitely both.”

“We can handle it,” Loralei assured. “By the way,” She softly sang her words and giggled. “I can start going back to school with Xena on Monday, right?” The girls’ transfer to different schools come their freshman year had been because of their violent tendencies, but their parents had promised…

As an exasperated sigh slipped past her lips, Sashi nodded.

The twins looked at each other, high-fiving and pulling each other into a halfway hug. The future was looking bright. To think, it all started with the light inside of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao @ the twins for having the worst bday ever  
> tbh i chose that for two reasons  
> 1) they're totally Aries  
> 2) it's funny


	3. {ii.} carrying a candle

Their first mission would be on Friday. But today was the day the girls found themselves faced with a different sort of mission. High school - or, as Xena liked to call it, The Cesspool of Doom. Loralei hadn’t been intimidated in the least … until Xena disclosed details. And Loralei thought the all-girls school she had been going to was miserable.

Then again, one of Xena’s many “talents” was exaggerating.

So Monday morning was upon them, with the usual chaos in the Zero-Kobayashi household.

This chaos involved the girls nearly breaking down the door for control of the bathroom,  _ “You should have woken up earlier, Leia!”, _ and the entire family running through the house, doing whatever it is they had to do for their morning routine.

Which was usually rather dysfunctional.

“No, Xena, for the last time, you can’t have leftover cake for breakfast,” Sashi argued.

With a pout, Xena stabbed at her ridiculously sugary cereal with her spoon. She had amused Xander by giving him the free toy that came with the box, but now he kept trying to ride it up her arm. Despite giving him the evil eye, the smallest smirk was on her face.

Loralei rushed down the stairs in a flurry, snatching a waffle from the toaster and shoving it into her mouth while she bounced one foot trying to shove on a sparkly gold ballet flat.

Sashi’s eyes went wide at her daughter’s choice of outfit. “You’re not going to school wearing that,” she declared. “Go change.”

“What?” Loralei said innocently.

“It’s more of a belt than a skirt,”

“I’m wearing leggings underneath,”

“Penn,” Sashi groaned, glancing to her husband. “What do you think of Loralei’s outfit?”

Looking up from the newspaper, Penn shrugged. “Those shoes don’t go with that long-sleeve,” he mused. Surprised by the snicker from Xena and groan from Sashi, he went back to reading the comics.

Hands on her hips, Loralei let the waffle hang out of her mouth. “Twenty-Two Magazine says it does,” she muttered.

Xena rolled her eyes. “Don’t waste your time about worrying with your first impression,” she spoke up as she got up, spilling the remainder of her cereal into the garbage disposal. “Seriously, how long did it take you to find that ‘ensemble’?”

“This is how I always dress,” Loralei muttered, finishing off the last bits of her quick breakfast.

“Sure,” Xena said slowly. “Now, c’mon. We’re gonna be late for the bus.”

With Xander already halfway out the door, Penn managed to stop his daughters right before they left; “Remember, if anyone asks-”

“-you own a movie theater outside of town,” the girls declared in unison.

He smiled and nodded. “Have fun at school,” he called.

Xena mumbled something along the lines of that being impossible, and led her sister down the block, with their brother quite a few steps ahead. “So,” she said. “I’m not gonna be your tour guide, but I’ll help you out. Show you the basics, help you with homework, shove an idiot or two into a locker. Got it?”

Loralei giggled. “Am I really gonna need that much help?” she retorted.

“Never know with you,” Xena said dryly. “Also, quick tip. Xander gets teased. A lot.”

They both eyed their innocent brother, younger by only two years and his own birthday soon approaching. Sensitive, naive, and … well, always the victim. It was never his fault for being golden-hearted and preferring to dress in pink rather than blue. But that was what he had his sisters for. Even before the official titles, they had been a team.

“I already get it,” Loralei said, with a nod.

The bus stop was at the perfect corner of Middleburg; the center of middle-class, slums and white-collar. Several kids, both older and younger, were crowded on the corner, some being a little rowdy and others half-awake. But they all seemed to perk up, backing away once Xena came into sight. With Loralei and Xander on either side of her, she gave a smile that could only be defined as confident.

Loralei looked from side to side, shooting a kind smile here and there, and occasionally got one or two in return. But it was clear to see, most people there were terrified of Xena.

Although, there was always one bad apple in a bunch; “Where did the third one come from, Zero?”

Xena frowned, whipping around to face a burly girl with a graveyard for a smile.

“What’s it to ya, Withers?”

“Just wanted to say hi,”

Loralei didn’t make eye contact with the other girl, but Xena’s eyes were locked on her prey. She leaned in, almost comically, and sneered. The two were neck and neck, the other girl not much taller than Xena. Then, with a quick dodge, she avoided the loogie spat at her, and jabbed this ‘Withers’ between the eyes.

“Fuck off,” Xena hissed. “I don’t need this today.”

With that said, the mystery girl shuffled off just as a bus pulled up. Loralei stepped forward, only for Xena to hold her back.

“Middle and elementary school bus,” she whispered.

Being the good kid he was, Xander gave each of his sisters a hug before boarding the bus with the other younger children. Both Xena and Loralei watched with small smiles, and waved back when he said hi through the open window.

As the bus drove off, another showed up, and Xena nodded.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea as she made her way to the front of the line, with Loralei shuffling behind her. They immediately headed to the back of the bus, where two single seats were either side of the aisle. Xena nodded to the left, and took that seat - Loralei did the smart thing and sat opposite her sister.

“Are they scared of you or do they respect you?” she whispered.

“I kinda like to think it’s a bit of both,” Xena admitted, with a wink.

Loralei released a low whistle and shook her head as the bus rolled down the street. Today was going to be one helluva ride, and it just started.

 

_**~~~~~** _

 

After the somewhat chaotic bus ride - kids screaming, others throwing things, some blasting music on their phones, Loralei found herself wandering around campus for the good fifteen minutes she had before school actually started. Middleburg High wasn’t unlike any other high school. Crowds, loud teenagers, gossip whispered through the halls, too many cliques with not enough confidence in themselves, the usual. Loralei found herself blending in right away, staying somewhere in the middle between the background and popular crowd.   
  
Of course, going to the office first thing in the morning probably wasn’t a good first impression.   
  
“Hello?” Loralei piped up.   
  
The receptionist looked like she had just been woken up, and stared blankly at the young girl. “Yes?” she mumbled.   
  
Loralei stammered for a moment, fiddling with the straps on her backpack. Nonetheless, she put on a smile. “I’m new here? Just transferred?” She outstretched her hand for a shake, but the old woman stared at it. “I’m Loralei. Not sure which last name my parents put me under, it’s either Kobayashi or Zero.”   
  
Suddenly, it looked like the receptionist had been electrocuted at the mention of the latter last name.   
  
“Of course,” she mumbled, fishing into a drawer. “Here,”   
  
With a curt nod, Loralei accepted the schedule and information. She headed out into the hall, eyes skimming the crowd. Goths and punks hung casually with each other, girls in cheerleading uniforms and boys in basketball jerseys laughed and talked loudly, those with no label wandered the halls … this was like a stock photo of high school. A sigh escaped Loralei as she headed down the West hall, where her locker was located.   
  
356, 357, 358… 359.   
  
She spun the combo lock around, and propped open the door. It was empty, plain and an unattractive shade of a blue. A sigh escaped Loralei as she fished a few things out of her backpack; a magnet mirror on the door, a picture of her family taped to the side, and a book or two thrown on the top shelf. She slammed the door shut, and was startled who exactly had the locker next door.   
  
“And to think, I thought I had to deal with only two Zeroes at this dump,”   
  
Loralei frowned heavily. “Hello to you too, Sheridan,”   
  
Decked in a cheerleading uniform, with her long beach blonde hair tied back in perfect twintails, Sheridan gave a saccharine smile. “Long time no see, Loralei,” she said, with feigned kindness.   
  
“Wasn’t long enough, Rippen,” Loralei grumbled.   
  
“Oh, don’t worry, Zero,” Sheridan piped up. “This won’t be the last you’ll see of me.”   
  
“Pity,” Loralei retorted sarcastically.   
  
Sheridan gave a low chuckle. “By the way,” She eyed the pocketwatch hanging on the belt loop of the other girl’s skirt. “Nice watch. A bit old fashioned, though, don’t you think?”   
  
Biting back a scowl, Loralei nodded. “Family heirloom,” she said.   
  
With a single raised eyebrow, and her gloss-covered lips pursed, Sheridan nodded. “Well,” she said, kicking her locker closed with her designer boots - that no, Loralei definitely was not jealous of - and giving a slight sneer. “See you in fifth period.”   
  
And so, Sheridan sashayed off, joining a posse of other popular people. Of course.   
  
Loralei’s heart dropped, and she groaned. She didn’t even have to look at her schedule…   
  
“The she-devil is in art with both of us. Weird coincidence, right?”   
  
“Xena,” Loralei grumbled, nearly jumping out of her skin as she turned around to face her sister. “I thought you said you weren’t gonna be my tour guide.”

Bestowing a smirk that seemed to run in their family, Xena patted her sister on the back. “That’s just basic survival, sis,” she retorted. “Sheridan was born to be bad, and not in the good way.” She threw in a wink. “It’s our job to keep her under wraps, y’know.”

The bell rang, and Xena swore, dashing off without even a goodbye.

Loralei rolled her eyes, smiling to herself.

So this was what it felt like. It was  _ exhilarating. _


	4. {iii.} parachute strings

It was exhausting. Loralei found herself running around the school in a manic, how could the other kids be so chill about it? Three minutes was not enough time to dart across Middleburg’s campus, considering the school was crowded and  _ ugh _ . A cesspool, indeed. Xena hadn’t been exaggerating that much after all.

Two more classes before the day was over.

But right now … damn.

Loralei had been trying to remain inconspicuous; she could tell her last name had already left a mark on the halls of the high school. Quite literally, if some whispered stories were to be believed.

However, now it was echoing through the art room.

Ugh.  _ The art room. _

“Zero?”

Her last name was groaned rather than said. But just like back in elementary years, the entire class already seemed to chorus, “Which one?”

The reaction was priceless.

“What do you mean which one?” Rippen practically spat, turning away from his canvas and stealing a glance at the attendance list. If they didn’t know any better, students would have laughed out loud at how his face fell. His brow furrowed and his teeth grit together as he choked out, “ _ Loralei _ Zero?”

“Present,” Loralei said, tossing her hair over one shoulder and giving a side look to her sister, who sat next to her.

Xena smirked, waving a hand. “I’m here too, Rip,” she spoke up.

Rippen literally threw his hands up, refusing to look at his class yet again. “Fine, that’s all of you, you’re all here, congratulations,” he grumbled sarcastically. “Today’s assignment, do whatever you want - but nothing messy. I had enough trouble with the blasted middle schoolers before lunch. That means no painting, no clay, especially no paper mache-”

“Do you just want us to draw?” a boy with heavy makeup hollered from the back of the room.

“Yes,” Rippen declared. “Just draw. Something. Anything.”

He went back to his incoherent mumbling as he painted away, leaving the class to their own devices. Really, almost everyone knew the grade was mostly participation … what portion was fairly graded, anyway. Which obviously wasn’t a lot. Papers were passed up and down the aisles of desks, and unlike any other class, the students shut their mouths, talking no louder than a murmur.

Xena ran a hand through her pixie cut hair, chuckling low to herself. “His star student was missing, actually,” she mused.

Of course. Sheridan was right outside, peering in through the window of the door. Her brown eyes and blonde hair were nothing but a blur in the hall for a moment. Then, the door creaked open and the sound of her heels skittering across the tile floor went unmentioned by everyone.

Typically, Loralei was paying no attention to this - until a purse the size of a suitcase and a latte cup were dropped on the other side of the table.

_ Oh, come on. _

“So,” Sheridan said snippedly. “You two haven’t gotten in any … tousles yet, have you?”

“Slow day,” Xena almost drawled, her blue eyes darkening as she met the gaze of the other girl. “Not for you, though, it seems.”

Sheridan’s smile was completely straight and perfect, almost blinding. “Never is,” she retorted.

“You know, Sheri,” Xena smirked as she noticed her fellow classmate practically ruffle up at the nickname that clearly disgusted her. “I don’t think that’s a coffee stain on that cheerleading uniform of yours. Who exactly did you get a ride from today?”

The smile turned into a sneer. “Watch your mouth, Zero,” she hissed. “I walked, if you must know,”

Xena gave a soft laugh - and that was what triggered Sheridan to slightly rise up in her seat, gripping the pen she had fetched from her bag.

“Save it for Friday,” Loralei practically growled, her eyes burning into Sheridan’s. “Kill each other in a multiverse, not in the middle of class.”

Instantly, Sheridan dropped the pen, letting out a soft  _ “oh”  _ and batting her eyes innocently. She settled back into her seat, folding both hands as she stared down the twins. “Mommy and Daddy finally let you off the leash to play?” she taunted. “How cute. Will you show up wrapped up in bubble wrap or,” She feigned a gasp and giggled. “Are you sneaking your way around?”

As Rippen walked around the class to keep an eye on students and make sure they were working, Xena flipped a single rude finger to Sheridan before they all began to scribble.

Xena’s were nothing but swirls and scratches, Loralei’s drawings had some symbolism, but as expected, Sheridan’s were perfection.

Once their teacher was far enough away, it just had to be Sheridan who continued to backtalk.

“Your last name symbolizes something entirely different,” she hissed. “And you know it.”

“Take it back,” Xena said, not even bothering to whisper. “Take it back right now.”

Loralei’s gaze had the fury of a thousand fires as her gaze dodged between the two other girls she was sitting with. Instead, Sheridan gave a simple shrug, sipping her coffee. The entire class was glancing at the unlikely trio, each one of them with a completely different demeanor. Always playing the victim, Sheridan continued to draw and remained innocent as possible. Meanwhile, Xena was about to pounce across the table and lynch the other girl.

“Friday,” Loralei whispered to her sister. “Or at the very least, after school.”

Going back to furiously scribbling some sort of mess she would pass off as ‘abstract’, Xena growled and grumbled the rest of her way through class. Loralei tried her hardest to stay calm through the rest of class…

...but come on, she couldn’t be the only one trying to find mini devil horns in those perfect ‘I woke up like this’ blonde waves of Sheridan’s hair.

Whatever.

 

~~~~

 

The rest of the day was uneventful. More homework, less staying in the rumor mill, what Loralei expected. But by the time the bell rang and she made a mad dash for fresh air, she did not expect to see someone doing donuts in the student parking lot. She practically shuddered. She forgot how wild public school could be - and high schoolers only made it worse.

“Mackenzie Kingsolver owes me a dollar. I told her someone would do it today,”

Loralei nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice and noticed Xander standing next to her, who was watching the event with all the excitement of someone his age usually would.

“Another one, another one!” he hollered, waving his arms.

“Let’s not,” Loralei muttered. “How did you-” She trailed off, and shook her head. Xander was a good kid, but also crafty. There was probably a secret way for him to get from the middle school to the high school in a matter of minutes.

The rickety pickup doing the ridiculous stunts suddenly rolled forward and screeched to a stop at the back doors.

It was only then did Loralei catch notice of a very familiar face in the passenger seat.

“Hey you two!” Xena hollered, sticking her head out the window. “Want a ride?”

Loralei raised both eyebrows as the truck rolled in front of her and Xander, who was already heading towards the vehicle. She eyed the driver; a well-built dark-skinned boy in a football jersey with a very impressive jawline. He gave an awkward wave, and Loralei shrugged, getting in the backseat with her brother.

She barely had time to close the door before the truck’s wheels screeched out of the parking lot, and Xena whooped, nudging her companion as the radio began to boom.

“So, uh,” Loralei stammered, adjusting the specs. “This is…?”

“Kip,” Xena replied. “Kipper Allen. Dude, you know Xander and this is,”

“You’re the twin,” Kipper spoke up, looking at Loralei with the rearview mirror. He chuckled, shaking his head and letting his dreads sway to the beat of the music. “Gotta admit, you two don’t look or act alike.”

Loralei snorted. “We’re still trying to prove if one of us is adopted,” she joked.

Kipper winced and laughed. Despite his friendly disposition, he clearly didn’t know basic driving safety. While Xena seemed to enjoy the thrill of it, Xander clutched onto his seatbelt for dear life and Loralei kept the window open just a crack. One could never be too careful with reckless drivers. Ridiculously loud rock music made the speakers crackle and they were burning rubber on every turn - but the ride seemed over as soon as it began. Probably because no one in the front seat knew what a speed limit sign was…

Xander and Loralei instantly tumbled out of the back, but Xena seemed to chat it up and stay in the front seat for as long as possible.

“Ahem,” Xander said, tapping the driver’s side door. “We’d like our sister back.”

“See you around, X-Ray,” Kipper said, slapping Xena on the back. “Don’t wanna know what your siblings are capable of.”

Xena grinned as she got out of the truck and no- no, Loralei had to have been hallucinating. There was no way. Her sister did not- oh, she was. She definitely was. It wasn’t just Xena’s hair that was red … it was her cheeks too.

She high-fived Kipper one last time before he sped off, and the trio of siblings retreated back to their house.

“So,” Loralei said, bumping her sister with her hip. “You have quite the reputation at Middleburg High. Everyone knows you.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Xena chuckled as she unlocked the front door.

The house was quiet. A little too quiet. No playful bickering of their parents, or television left on due to someone’s carelessness. Of course, this wasn’t unusual - but the note taped to the coat rack did suggest otherwise.

_ There’s a 20 in the kitchen to order dinner. Will be home late. _

_ \--Mom & Dad _

“I call hot wings!” Xander piped up, fist-pumping the air.

“Go ahead, call for something,” Loralei mumbled, clutching the note and eyeing her sister.

Xena remained relaxed as ever. She shrugged it off - so what? Their mother worked overtime a lot, and as for their father … well, the two of them probably teamed up, one last hoorah as heroes before they took over. It was clear to see Xena saw no issue and was right behind Xander to go call for takeout.

“Don’t sweat it, Leia,” Xena called. “It’s not like we’re gonna have to move in with a kooky aunt and an uncle. Know why? ‘Cause we don’t have any.”

Loralei rolled her eyes, giving a smirk. “Too soon,” she teased.

But something itched in the back of her mind. Sheridan’s quote from art class… about their last names… nah. There was no way. She was being paranoid. Besides, she had a busy night ahead of her. Throwing her backpack on the kitchen counter as Xena and Xander bickered over pizza toppings, Loralei decided how exactly she would memorize the periodic table in one night.

“By the way,” Xena said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “Don’t ask why people call me X-Ray, and if you hear anything about the incident with a spray can of cheese and Miss Fleming, ignore it.”

Hazel eyes wide behind glasses, Loralei just shook her head.

This was the new normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how is Xena not expelled? the world may never know
> 
> thanks for the feedback, y'all! please keep it coming - it fuels my inspiration!


	5. {iv.} shooting fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's like v mild Penashi in this  
> like v little not a lot compared to what i usually do
> 
> rlly I swear it's mostly about the kids

The night went on as expected. Some yelling, both neutral and wild, each one of the kids doing their own thing, and finally, all three of them seated at the kitchen table circling a pizza box.

“Told you,” Xena softly sang as the front door crept open.

Loralei rolled her eyes, throwing her leftover crusts into the box. “I just wondered,” she muttered.

Their parents shuffled in, both looking exhausted from what had obviously been a long day at work. Remaining quiet, the kids all went their own ways; Loralei up to her room, Xena to the basement and Xander into the living room. Everything seemed normal on the surface.

But if one were to dig a little deeper…

“Something’s wrong,” Sashi immediately blurted out once the kids left the room.

Penn shrugged. “They’re probably tired from school,” he replied, fetching a slice for himself. “Hawaiian? What kind of children are we raising?” Nonetheless, he nibbled on the pizza, eyeing his wife. “What? You’ve got that look on your face,”

“This is my normal face,” Sashi retorted.

“Yeah, for the past fifteen years, it’s been normal,” Penn playfully shot back. “It’s your ‘the kids need my help and I’m going to mom the hell out of them’ face.”

Sashi rolled her eyes. “Which twin do you want to handle?” she asked.

Penn shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me,” he said.

“Alright then,” Sashi smirked. “You can get Xena,”

Penn frowned. “I only said it doesn’t matter because I thought,” He groaned, rolling his eyes. “Sash, it’s been a long day. I don’t wanna deal with your clone right now,” He was the one to smirk when his wife glared at him. “Just saying,” He couldn’t hold back a laugh as Sashi left the kitchen. “You know it’s true!”

Her loud groan of exasperation was reply enough. Penn laughed to himself, finishing off the slice of pizza before bounding down to the basement. Vulgar music that sounded like a cross between heavy metal and rap echoed off of the concrete walls, and the backup was some screams and smacks. As Penn winced at the volume and profanity of the song, he eyed Xena, who was busy pummeling the punching bag.

He gave a pathetic wave, and she looked at him, releasing a huff as she stepped over to silence the music.

“Hey,” Xena breathed out. “What?”

“Um,” Penn hesitated. “You can go back to that,” He pointed to the bag, and let his daughter continue at what she was doing. “I just wanted to make sure you were, uh,” He stammered. Why was he down here anyway? Ah, yes, the power of the wife, of course.  “You guys hold up okay for a few hours on your own?”

Xena glanced at her father as she slammed a roundhouse kick to the punching bag. “Yeah,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

He paused, and watched her for a few moments, before finally shrugging. “I don’t know,” he said. Penn found it amusing how aggravated Xena was with the bag, and he leaned up against the wall, thinking to himself. He did, however, notice how offkey she was - and a thought crept into Penn’s mind, sticking to his brain.

 

**_~~~~_ **

 

Sashi had planned to make a oneway trip upstairs, but had been delayed. Not that she minded too much. Her son was in the living room, sitting on the floor and attempting to do homework. Emphasis on attempt. Sashi stopped when her arm was tugged on, and she looked down at her son, who held out a paper to her.

“For the question, ‘why was FDR allowed beyond two terms of presidency’, can I put because no one stopped him from doing it?” Xander asked, holding up the worksheet.

Sashi hesitated. She had just barely scraped her way through History when she was in school… “I guess that’s not wrong,” she mused, sitting on the couch and looking over her son’s shoulder as he scribbled down some answers on the paper.

A smile crept across her face as she noticed some of his clever answers. Her son certainly was imaginative and witty.

He’d make it. He was meant to be a wiseman.

Ruffling his hair, Sashi got up and let him be. She headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time and bounding her way to the girls’ bedroom. 

 

_**~~~~** _

 

“Xena,” Penn declared, stepping forward and holding the punching bag in place. “Quit it before you pull something. Now I just wanna talk,” He winced as his daughter’s small, bony fist dove into the bag again, barely putting a dent in it. “Do you want to listen?”

“Sure,” Xena spoke up. “What did I do this time?”

Penn sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not that,” He stepped back to avoid accidentally getting hit. Xena was tiny, but undoubtedly powerful. “Yet. Anyway, I … I just wanted to make sure you’re ready.”

Her eyebrow, just a single one, arched as she continued to beat the bag into oblivion.

“For Friday,” he added.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she retorted.

“I’m just saying,” Penn said slowly. “It’s a lot to take in. I wasn’t nearly as prepared as you are, but I want you to know that if you want to back out, you have a choice. You can quit if you think it’s not for you. But,” His eyes went wide as the punching bag suddenly swung back on it’s chain, due to a wicked kick from his daughter. “I want you to try it. Because you’re capable of being a hero.”

Xena let out a grunt and sigh, bending over to catch her breath.

Her blue eyes darted up, the exact same shade as her father’s, and she swallowed hard before standing upright again. She wiped her hands on her ripped jeans, giving a nod.

“Yeah,” she said breathlessly. “I get it.”

“You know your mother and I wouldn’t have given the green light in the first place if we thought you couldn’t do it,” Penn assured. “So just … be the best you can be, okay?”

A grin broke out on Xena’s expression. “That’s all I ever do,” she assured.

 

**_~~~~_ **

 

Sashi didn’t hesitate in the slightest when she reached the door to the girls’ bedroom, knocking twice before she peered in. She noticed Loralei, already ready for bed and running a brush through her impossible hair.

“So,” Sashi piped up. “You like public schooling?”

Loralei shrugged. “It’s okay,” she admitted. “Just wore me out. I like it, though,”

“And seeing how I didn’t get any calls, I’m assuming it went well,” Sashi joked, walking in and sitting on the edge of her daughter’s bed. “Anyway,” she trailed off, eyes darting up to look at Loralei.

Innocently brushing her hair and looking up at her mother with uneasiness, the teenage girl clammed up for a moment, before finally choking out; “Am I in trouble? Or,” She trailed off, leaning up against the headboard of the bed, letting her nightgown crumple up as she sat back.

“Are you comfortable with all of these changes?” Sashi blurted out. “So soon? Turning fifteen, going to a new school, getting a job?” Her voice shook a little on the last word.

“All of that is fine,” Loralei sighed. “But … did Xena tell you I got worried about you and Dad coming home late? I didn’t think you guys were trapped in the MDWI,” She trailed off for a moment, giving a halfhearted shrug. “But it did cross my mind that you two had gone on one last mission together.”

Sashi chuckled, shaking her head. “Ah, no,” she said, with a small smile. “And you know I retired from the sidekick thing permanently when you girls turned ten. I can't keep playing hero all of my life.”

Loralei nodded, folding her hands and placing them in her lap. “So,” she mused. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

They both knew. Not so long ago, the twins had been given constant confirmation that they wouldn’t be taking their parents’ roles for a very, very long time. Now, for all of it to turn around? To say it seemed strange was an overstatement, but to be surprised was not. Was it to have the same rush they did when they started out? Or maybe their parents had finally come to their senses? Then again, it could have just been a ‘why not’.

With one look at her mother, Loralei knew she wasn’t going to get a crystal clear answer.

“I figured I can’t keep any of you kids from doing what you want with your lives,” Sashi sighed. “It will be dangerous, there’s no doubt about that, but you’re the kids of a hero and a sidekick. You’re tough. You’ll make it.”

Giving a slow nod, Loralei went back to brushing her hair. “Hypothetically,” she spoke up. “What if we don’t like it?”

Brown eyes sincere and a stiff lip, Sashi leaned in, gaze never breaking from her daughter’s. “Loralei,” she declared. “If you hesitate, even for a second, that you can’t do something, I want you to try. Keep trying, until you have enough attempts to look back on and say ‘this isn’t for me’ - and if you want to quit,” She shrugged. “You can always work at the mall. But if you’re willing to take on the job of part-time heroing, I want you to stick with it for a little while, okay?”

Loralei didn’t hesitate in the slightest for a reply; “Okay.”

Sashi grinned, getting up and placing a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “Don’t stay up too late,” she said.

Returning the smile and giving a nod, Loralei watched her mother leave the room - and reached to her bedside table, picking up her phone and texting her sister.

_ ‘Lecture from mom. wbu???’ _

 

**_~~~~_ **

 

“Yeah, I know you do,” Penn mused. “You’re a Zero and a Kobayashi. You got this. But,” He sighed, about to continue until he got an unexpected hug from his daughter. “Oh, uh, h-hey, are you okay?”  If it was one true fact Penn knew about his older daughter, it was that she wasn’t affectionate. Even as a baby, Xena would rather wail her little lungs out instead of be comforted by her parents…

...if she hugged someone, voluntarily, it was big.

“I just need a hug, Dad,” she mumbled.

Xena was hilariously short compared to her father, but it didn’t make the hug awkward. Penn was too shocked to process that, and he just returned the embrace, smoothing down his daughter’s hair, straight as a line and redder than his, if possible.

“I’ve got plenty of those for you, junior,” he said, with a teasing tone of voice.

Xena groaned out a laugh at the old nickname. “Dad,” she whined. “I’m not five anymore.”

Penn smiled as his daughter yanked out of the hug. “So, you’re good?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Xena mused, lightly punching the bag and returning the grin. “I’m good,”  She paused, just barely looking at him. “Thanks. For whatever,” She instantly went back to pummeling the bag, and her father waved as he headed back upstairs, leaving her with her space…

But Xena stopped dead in her actions when her phone lit up. A text, from Loralei.

**_‘how fcking lazy r u’_ **

_ ‘did dad lecture you’ _

**_‘YES. idk. sorta. why does it matter????’_ **

_ ‘Mom just kinda did that for me. theyre having 2nd thoughts. i think’ _

A pause, the little floating dots for a few minutes.

_ ‘sibling movie nite. Get Xan’ _

**_‘k’_ **

Xena left her punching bag alone, rushing up the stairs and dashing into the living room. Not surprisingly, her brother hadn’t moved - but had replaced his homework with a handheld video game. “Grab some popcorn and I’ll skim the movie channels,” she said, vaulting onto the couch. “Leia just called for an movie night.”

“But I was gonna hit Level 15,” Xander said.

“Here, gimme,” Xena replied, waving a hand. “I’ll win for you,”

Xander skeptically raised an eyebrow, and handed the game to his sister, who instantly began shooting in every general direction as he went to go grab a snack. She didn’t even notice Loralei come into the living room, until she plopped into their father’s recliner, adjusting it to the farthest setting.

“We already had this talk,” Xena muttered.

“I’m not scared about doing it,” Loralei harshly whispered. “I think Mom and Dad are,”

“Dad said he wouldn’t have said yes in the first place if he wasn’t sure about it,” Xena argued.

She groaned when the character in the game died for no reason, and she tossed the handheld to the end of the couch. Both girls fell silent as their mother peered in, gaze dodging between the two.

“I want everyone in bed by eleven,” Sashi said simply, before heading back up.

Xena sighed, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and flicking on the tv. “You’re the sidekick, Leia,” she said simply. “All you have to do is punch some stuff and look cool while standing next to me. That’s not a lot of work. And we’re not gonna be chicken about it, either. This’ll be a breeze for us,”

Loralei nodded, releasing a long sigh. “I’m just tired,” she admitted. “That’s why I pulled this,”

“Sure you did,” Xena chuckled as Xander came in with two bags of microwave popcorn, throwing one at each of his sisters. “Thanks, twerp,” She ruffled his hair once he sat down across the way from her and she began flipping through channels.

 

**_~~~~_ **

 

The master bedroom was quiet.

“So the girls,” Penn said, drawing in a sharp breath. “They’re gonna do it? They’re both sure?”

Sashi nodded slowly, laying on the bed to stare up at the ceiling.  “They’ve wanted this since they were kids,” she mused, folding her arms over her chest. “If they say they’re ready, then I trust them. Besides,” She sighed, bestowing her usual half-smirk half-smile. “They’re made of tough stuff.”

Penn grinned, sitting next to her. “Yeah,” he chuckled. “Hard to believe we’re letting them do this.”

“It’s hard to grasp,” Sashi agreed, eyes going downcast. She paused, gaze shooting up to her husband. “I’m just worried about Xander.”

“Sash,”

“He’s twelve, Penn,” she argued, sitting up.

“Thirteen in a few months,” he retorted.

“He should be worried about video games or girls or blowing stuff up in the microwave - whatever it is teenage boys like,” Sashi said exasperatedly. “Not thinking up battle strategies or how to get out of life and death situations. The girls are a little older, they’re responsible enough to juggle both,” She trailed off, letting out a groan.

Penn released a deep sigh, staring at his wife sternly. “Sashi,” he said gently. “They’ll take care of him.”

Sashi frowned. “I’m still scared for the girls,” she admitted. “But to send all three of our kids into a multiverse? To have this … this burden on them? They shouldn’t feel obligated,” She bit her lip so hard it could have drawn blood. “I just want them all to be happy.”

“And they will be. They’re all on board for this,” Penn assured. “Besides, I’ve been talking to Phyllis, Boone  _ and _ your brother. They’re modifying the MUT world generator, so, y’know, the kids aren’t in Piece of Cake World or whatever,”

“That world isn’t even that bad, the blood is strawberry syrup,” Sashi grumbled.

Penn chuckled, reluctantly pulling his wife into a one-armed hug. “We can’t all have years of sidekick training,”

“Thirteen years,” she corrected.

“We told the kids the truth when they were old enough to understand, but young enough to not be lied to their whole lives,” Penn said simply. “We’ve done all we can. Now it’s up to them,”

Sashi let out a sigh that said everything.

She really hated it when he was right...

 

_**~~~~** _

 

“Are you guys scared to start on Friday?”

Xena and Loralei both perked up at their brother’s question, looking at each other, and then back to him. Unafraid and bold, Xena shook her head, going back to flipping through channels, while Loralei just gave an apathetic shrug.

“It is what it is, Xan,” she said. “Why do you ask? Are you?”

Xander shook his head, giving a smile. “I just need to know what I’m dealing with,” he said.

Giving her brother the side-eye, Xena playfully shoved him and settled a channel showing some movie that was probably older than all of them. Sure, they were regular kids, but that was okay. It was more than okay, even. There were just another generation getting the best of both worlds. Or, rather, multiple ones...


	6. {v.} take on the world(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The legacy is revived.

The week came and went. And sure, most students were excited on Fridays, but no one at Middleburg High knew why the Zero girls were so happy. Xena hadn’t pummeled anyone or even threatened to do so, and Loralei had a smile that just wouldn’t go away. A few crude rumors had been thrown around, but nothing they heard, so hear no evil, see no evil. They were up on cloud nine anyway. Once the final bell shrieked, they were out of school at the speed of lightning.

“We gotta be at the Odyssey by four,” Xena mused. “How are we gonna get there in fifteen minutes? Xander, you know a shortcut?”

Unfortunately, her younger brother shook his head. “We could run,” he spoke up. “None of the school buses stop anywhere near there. And it’s too late to call Mom or Dad for a ride, they can’t pick us up and they won’t make it in time,”

Xena pursed her lips, slipping her phone out. “We could call Grandma and Grandpa,” she mused. “But I don’t think-”

There were some screams from the end of the school’s roundabout, and a roar.

Wait.

A roar?

Loralei sighed. “We have a ride,” she deadpanned, as a baby blue convertible rolled up, with the most unusual passenger in the shotgun seat. “Did you really have to bring the bear, Aunt Phyllis?”

“Of course,” Phyllis said matter-of-factly. “Karen is fine. Now, get in,”

Xena didn’t even bother opening the door and instantly hopped into the backseat, rolling to the other end and letting out a whoop. Her siblings followed suit, in a much less show-off manner. Xander sat in the middle, and Loralei was on the other side before the car rolled away from the school.

“I thought you didn’t have your license,” Xander spoke up.

“I do now,” Phyllis declared, pulling a card out of the top pocket of her overalls. “See?”

All three kids squinted at the card, each one with bewilderment.

“How do you pronounce that last name of yours?” Xena laughed.

“I’m not even sure some of those letters are English,” Loralei grumbled, adjusting her glasses.

“Is not important,” Phyllis scoffed.

Xena leaned forward, practically face to face with the elderly woman. “That is true,” she mused. “So, you pick a special world for our first ever mission?” She practically squealed the words, like a little kid on Christmas morning. “Like Megasupertropolis? Or Plantywood? Maybe even Big Butte?”

“No, no, and let’s see,” Phyllis pursed her lips, pretending to be deep in thought. “No.”

Xena frowned. “You wound me, Aunt Phyllis,” she pouted. “Better be good today,”

Gunning it on the gas to send the teenage girl flying back, Phyllis smiled in the rearview mirror. “Could say the same for you three,” she said good-naturedly.

Luckily, road rage had been minimal and the drive was short; the lot of them making it with only two minutes to spare, quite literally. However, a very familiar car was parked right in front of them - as the whole group got out, eyeing the other vehicle.

“Save it,” Loralei muttered.

“What?” Xena said, throwing her hands up in mock innocence. “I was just gonna maybe kick one of the headlights in. Only one,”

Phyllis threw the keys at Karen The Bear, letting the beast chew on them. “Less talk, more mission,” she said, swinging open the door and practically shoving the kids in. “First, we do initiation,” She rolled her eyes at the groaning and muttering from the three teens. “Unless you want to go in without consequence and zero liability for selves?”

Xander raised his hand politely. “I want to do the initiation,” he said simply.

“Is what I thought,” Phyllis said, pulling a heavy textbook out from under the counter. “This is rules,” She tapped the book and smiled. “You can read this, it contains rules and insurance policy of heroes, sidekicks, wiseman and MUT. Thank your parents for memorizing it.”

The kids all released sighs and expressions of relief, but their faces fell when a single form was slid over to them.

Phyllis clicked a pen up and down on the counter, letting it bounce between her fingers. “This is consent form,” she said. “By signing, you three agree that you are responsible for any accident or failure. I will pay any severe bodily damage, should tragedy happen.”

Instantly, Xena was the one to snap her fingers, holding her hand out. The pen was given to her, and she skimmed the paper, scribbling her signature next to the Hero slot. She held the pen up for grabs, and Xander was next to pounce, grabbing it and writing his name next to the Wiseman spot. And finally, he shoved the writing instrument into Loralei’s hand, smiling up at her.

There was but a second of silence before she jotted down her name as well, in perfect penmanship.

 **HERO:** _Xena Penelope Zero_

 **SIDEKICK:** _Loralei Athena Zero_

 **WISEMAN:** _Xander Leo Zero_

Phyllis gave the form a once-over before smiling. “This is team,” she said simply, hopping over the counter and leading them into the screening part of the theater. “You know basics, yes?”

Wide, excited expressions on each of them, the kids instantly agreed.

“So there is nothing to teach,” Phyllis declared. “Okay, we start now,” She clapped, head turning upwards; “Boone! George!” Her tone of voice was barking, and instantly, a familiar face popped out from the top balcony. The new team all looked at their team of technicians with delight; two honorary family members, one biological, but the trio still close to their hearts nonetheless.

Sounding as if he had just woken up, Boone responded; “The kids are starting already?”

Xena gave two thumbs-up, about to head up the balcony, before she was held by the collar of her shirt. “Aunt Phyllis!” she whined. “C’mon!”

“You do not get to choose world,” Phyllis argued.

“I was _not_ going to do that,” Xena scoffed.

The sound of a desk chair skidding was heard, and leaning over the railing of the balcony, George pointed at his nieces and nephew. “Can’t choose it anymore anyway,” he piped up. “Changed the system. Seriously, Phyllis, when was this updated? 1987?”

“93,” Phyllis muttered.

“It was ancient,” George argued, adjusting his glasses. “That’s why you need a computer whiz working here,”

The old woman grunted, rolling her eyes and mumbling something about how she couldn’t get rid of anyone. Of course, the kids were the only ones to catch her smile - as they all rushed and playfully shoved their way down the aisle, taking their spots on the zap pad. Memories of being younger, goofing around on it, and wishing someday they could use it.

That day was here, and it was happening,

“Zap one,” Loralei breathed out.

“Zap one,” Xena declared, placing her hands on her hips.

Xander shrugged, giving a smile. “Zap one, I guess,” he laughed.

The impossible had become possible, and it all started with three kids shrouded in a blue glow.


	7. {vi.} an unsuspecting herd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gears begin turning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll  
> Anyway like there's a plot and junk here

The zap was over as soon as it began, and the new team found themselves in a world they had never seen before. Clocks and cogs all around them, whirring and wheezing echoing through the air and the smell of smog dancing with the wind. But the scenery was beautiful, a sunset peeking beyond vast clouds that were so big and close- and wait.

“Are we pirates?” Xander said excitedly.

“This isn’t Pirate World,” Xena mused, adjusting her vest; which was heavy and oddly enough, a mix of cloth and metal. “This is something else, that’s for sure. Leia, the watch?”

Loralei rolled her eyes. “That really doesn’t roll off the tongue,” she quipped.

Xena sighed. “I’ll think something up,” she retorted. “But just do your thing for now,”

“Fine, fine,” Loralei said, loosening the pocketwatch off of her belt and snapping it open. It lit up for a second, before the slashed zero spun around to load their mission. And so, a hologram appeared before them all. “Our mission is to fix the Clock Tower of Power. It’s in bad shape now, and it powers all of the light and energy in the city of Timenzia, and we have to repair the tower before it’s blown up to smithereens. If that happens, Timenzia’s citizens will lose their memories and submit to a world of darkness and depression.”

There was a pause, before Xena raised both eyebrows. “Well, that sounds lovely,” she muttered.

“Uh, Xena?”

“What?” Xena said, turning around to notice her brother hanging over a railing. “What in the-”

“I think we’re air pirates?” Xander spoke up, with a curious glee in his voice.

Loralei shared a look of confusion with her sister as they both headed towards their brother, both of them getting sick at the sight before them. The city was hundreds, maybe thousands, of feet below them. The ship they were on was floating. Oh. Okay.

“I don’t know what the hell we are,” Xena muttered. “But _ I’m  _ gonna be sick,” She backed away from the edge, bent over and breathing deep. “Let’s just … let’s just land this thing.”

She shuffled over to the steering wheel, staring at it. It was like a strange mix of a pirate’s wheel and a wheel from a bicycle. What kind of world was this? Before she even touched it, Xena felt the entire ship buckle, and she nearly fell to her knees, as her siblings did the same. They all looked at each other in confusion and shock, unable to say anything before the ship choked again, and an engine sputter was heard.

That was when it started.

Their aircraft began to fall, and rather quickly at that; with each member of the team beginning to panic in their own way. Xena was screaming as she fiddled with the pathetic excuse of a control panel, Xander was frozen in shock and Loralei was pacing like crazy, shaking in her steps.

“Well?!” she yelled, gesturing at her twin. “What are you waiting for?! Do something!”

“What do you think I’m trying to do?!” Xena snapped. “I don’t know how to work this thing!”

Loralei’s hazel eyes went wide, and she staggered for a moment as she tried to stand still. She went eerily calm for a few instants, staring her sister down, before she exploded.

“What do you mean you don’t know how to steer it?!” she practically shrieked. “You’re the hero!”

“Oh, well, sorry,” Xena snapped. “I didn’t know that driving a flying ship was in the job description!” She yanked on the wheel, pulling a lever behind it. ‘ _ Alright, it’s not that much different than a car _ ,’ she thought. ‘ _ I know how to drive one of those. Not legally, but, _ ’ Her eyes darted up, and she frowned. “Xander! Leia! The sails!”

She fiddled and yanked at the controls, trying her best to steer the ship as Xander and Loralei fiddled with the sails up above, but once they were untied … well, to say they found a surprise was an understatement. The sails had been slashed, an S and an R on each one, in a manner that would have made a certain fictional masked legend proud.

A whoop was heard, then a blur of brown and blonde.

“Did I ever mention that I’m pretty crafty with a knife?” Sheridan cackled, swooping away on what looked like a mechanical hang-glider.

‘ _ We’re fucked, _ ’ was written all across Xena’s expression. ‘ _ Fucked from here to the moon and back _ .’

The ship coughed one more time before it began careening towards the ground, heading towards the place between the city and the ocean. Needless to say, this was not how their first mission was supposed to go. No parachutes, of course not, this was a ship. Forget the flying part. At least they’d float… right?

Nope. Instead, the ship crashed right on the shore and everything went black.

\----

It felt like Loralei had been knocked out for eternity, but in reality, it had probably only been a few minutes. The sun hit her in the eyes, just like a morning where she had slept in. However, this was not her comfortable bed. She was caught in between wood and scarily close to a beam of metal. She got to her feet, shaking out a leg that seemed numb. Her eyes darted everywhere at once, and finally, she saw a waving arm and flaming red hair.

She yelled her sister’s name, jumping over debris and gripping the hand that was outstretched.

Thankfully, only Xena’s dignity had been damaged - and she grunted as she was helped to her feet. “Now can I kill her?” she growled.

Loralei managed a nod. “I’ll take a baseball bat to her kneecaps first chance we get,” she muttered, offering the handkerchief from her dress pocket. “Uh, your nose,” She raised an eyebrow when Xena rejected it, wiping the blood on the back of her sleeve.

“You’ve done worse to me,” she retorted. “Let’s just fix that stupid clock tower.”

She began stomping ahead of her sister, but then they both stopped suddenly. They were one member shy. Xena’s eyes went wide, and Loralei skipped a breath. They looked at each other, their hearts falling as they dashed back towards the rubble that was their ship.

“Xander!”

\----

His mouth felt like it was full of cotton. His head was heavy, and something trickled down the side of his face. Xander saw things in blurs; black, then, brown, some yellows and red creeping into the side. Oh. The ship crash. Right. Okay. He released a few deep breaths, getting up off the ground to rest on his knees. His suit was tattered and torn, and all of his limbs felt weary.

And for a minute, he thought he was imagining the beeping…

Xander screamed, scattering away as a strange looking rust-bucket rolled towards him.

“Type?” it squeaked out.

“Uh,” Xander muttered. “Human?”

“I am not knowledgeable of ‘humans’. What is your type number?”

With his brown eyes darting everywhere all at once, Xander swallowed hard, clutching his jacket close, pretending it was something comforting - instead of scratchy wool and heavy copper. He stuttered once again before he noticed the number branded on the front of the ... machine? Robot? Something?

**_ZJ3._ **

“I’m, uh, XZ12,” he choked out.

“Hello, XZ12. I’m a Bot. Here to assist you. What do you seek?”

He felt like such a kid. He didn’t want to say it, but blinking back the tears in his eyes, Xander choked out; “Can you help me find my sisters?”

\----

There was tension and fear and too much. Too much of everything. They were both panicking in their own way, and the graveness of both situations here was not helping.

And to be honest, considering one of them was rambling with worry...

“Leia!” Xena yelled. “I swear, don’t make me slap you,” She took her sister by the shoulders, looking at her. “Loralei, you’re about to have a heart attack. Cool it,” They both had the same look of disarray and worry in their eyes, but at least one of them was somewhat level-headed right now.

Somewhat.

“Right,” Loralei choked out. “Uh,” She stammered. “How about you look for Xander a-and I’ll just … go fix the tower?”

“You don’t know how to do mechanics,” Xena argued.

“Well, one of us has to do each thing,” Loralei retorted. “And if I look for Xander on my own, I’ll be running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. I might as well give it a shot with the stupid clock,” She swallowed hard, trying to breathe normally again. “Give me your tool belt.”

Xena rolled her eyes, stepping back as she loosened it. “It’s not gonna fit you,” she grumbled.

That was true. The twins were about as fraternal as they could get - and Xena was a toothpick compared to Loralei, who was built like a house. Nonetheless, the younger twin caught the belt as it was tossed to her, and she slid the tools out of their positions, shoving them into her dress pockets.

“Good luck,” they said shakily, seemingly in unison.

And off they went, in different directions on their own quests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how good I am at action scenes but oh well


	8. {vii.} moxie, brains & spunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clocks slow down but life speeds up.

The city was getting darker and gloomier by the minute. Wonderful. Only one ship floated over Timenzia, and it loomed rather than glided. A ‘thump’ was heard, and one of the passengers returned.

“That was rather impressive, Sheridan. Not exactly following the plan, but still an excellent move,”

Sheridan gave a mock curtsy and smirked. “You’re welcome, Pops,” she said, practically sashaying over to the controls. “So, now what’s next? Dropping the bomb? Convincing the citizens to vote you in as their ruler? Perhaps both?”

Rippen grinned wickedly, wrapping an arm around his daughter. “One step at a time,” he assured. However, his expression fell slightly. “We may or may not have a bit of an issue with the bomb,”

“Sheri! Sweetie! Are you back?”

“Let me guess,” Sheridan sighed. “Dad’s the issue,”

“Yes,” Rippen sighed, running a hand across his face.

Stumbling up from under the deck, Larry smiled, holding a bundle of wires in his arms. “Um,” he stammered, giving a bashful smile. “Which wire do I hook up to the dynamite again?”

Looking at each other with exasperation, Sheridan and Rippen released sighs. This mission was going to take a while, despite their advantage.

 

\----

 

Xander found himself shuffling through the rubble, stepping over wires, planks of wood and heavy metal poles. The ‘Bot’, ZJ3, scurried in front, leading him to a clearing. Dusty sand blew in his face, and he coughed, from the atmosphere and the fact that a sudden beep from the Bot alarmed him.

“What is a ‘sister’?” it squawked out.

“Um,” Xander stammered. “A girl who you share the same parents with? Someone who’s always there for you?” He stopped for a moment, clutching his jacket close again. He could  _ really  _ use a hug right now. “She keeps you safe and makes sure you’re okay.”

“I’m not familiar with this concept,” ZJ3 beeped out, waving one of it’s ridiculously thin limb-attachments.

“Is there a ZJ2 or a ZJ4?” Xander asked as he shuffled down the beach with the Bot.

The Bot stopped suddenly in it’s tracks. A few shrieks and whines came from the creation, until it’s triangular head tilted to look at Xander. “I … suppose ... so,” it beeped.

Xander gave a small smile. “Maybe they’re your sisters,” he said.

ZJ3 went quiet, continuing to roll through the sand. “The town,” it shrieked, pointing at the city.

Hesitantly, Xander looked at the boardwalk that could lead him to the city center, if the sign was any indication. He began to head down the way, but stopped when he noticed the Bot rolling away. He raised an eyebrow, chasing after it.

“Hey!” he yelled. “Where are you going?”

“My job is fulfilled,” ZJ3 beeped.

Xander frowned, staring down at the machine. “So you’re just gonna be alone again?”

ZJ3 released a series of beeps, nodding it’s triangular head.

“I don’t want you to be alone, though,” Xander said, crouching down. “I like you. We can look out for each other in case anything else crazy happens, like that ship crash.”

“Would that make you my,” ZJ3 squawked a few times before coughing out the last word. “Sister?”

“I guess so,” Xander laughed.

_ “Xander!” _

Instantly, he looked up, and found himself smothered, lifted up off the sand and carried away. Judging from the fact he wasn’t very high up off the ground and all of the muttered swears he heard, Xander could easily figure out who had found him.

“Hi, Xena,” he said.

“You little twerp,” Xena groaned, placing him back down. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he assured.

He was cut off by loud shrieking and beeping, wincing as ZJ3 zipped across the sand to slam itself against Xena in the shin. She let out a yelp, kicking the contraption. Xander gasped, bending over and picking up the Bot to hold it close.

Xena bestowed a grimace, rubbing her leg. “What  _ is that? _ ” she snapped.

“Um,” Xander stammered. “It’s named ZJ3. I think I’m gonna call them Zeejay. It’s my friend,”

“You’re not gonna keep it as a pet,” Xena retorted.

“Can I keep it during the mission?”

Letting out a groan, Xena threw up her hands. Fine. Her little brother didn’t even have to try, she was such a sucker for him. “C’mon,” she said. “We gotta meet Leia at the clock tower,” She jabbed a finger at the Bot, her blue eyes narrowing. “But if that thing attacks me again, it’s going in the dumpster.”

 

\----

 

Loralei had to admit, running in heels was probably going to be how she died. Cobblestones and four-inch heels on boots was  _ not _ a good mix. She held up the skirt of her dress as she dashed through the slums of Timenzia, a little concerned for her safety as she glanced at the cast of characters in the area. Poor, grimy, greasy and saddened people; some giving her looks of begging and others eyeing her suspiciously.

At least most of the tools in her pockets would suffice as good weapons.

The clock tower.

The power.

The lights were dimming.

She was running out of time, and had to get to the other edge of town - and fast. Slowing down for a moment to catch her breath, Loralei noticed an abandoned contraption in an alleyway. It seemed like a moped, but not quite. Close enough, she decided.

Stealing was one thing, but borrowing in the middle of a crisis? That was totally different. She dragged the mode of transport out into the street, hopping onto the seat and beginning to crank the handle. The engine hummed to life, and off she went.

And for the first time in her life, Loralei was glad to not have her license. She was a god-awful driver.

“Sorry!” she shrieked while zipping by people, small groups of children and everyone in between.

However, she skidded to a stop upon seeing two very familiar faces lurking in the alleyways. The out-of-this-world moped squeaked and skidded on the street, and Loralei pushed it along the street, squinting in the darkness.

“You gonna give us a ride or what, Leia?”

Yup. Definitely who she thought.

Loralei breathed a sigh of relief as her twin stood on the back rail of the motorbike, holding on the seat for support, and Xander hopped into the front basket. It wasn’t ideal, but worked nonetheless.

“What’s that?” Loralei muttered, pointing to the contraption in her younger brother’s arms.

“Don’t ask,” Xena huffed.

“It’s name is ZJ3,” Xander spoke up, with a smile. “It doesn’t like being called Zeejay, though. Apparently, they’re something called a Bot?”

Loralei released a soft and slow  _ “okay”  _ before kicking up their bike again. It instantly went to full speed, bouncing them all across the street at a ridiculous speed. She followed the directions that were yelled from behind, and she made a mental note to tell her sister to clip her nails later. The knockoff moped sputtered once or twice - technology apparently wasn’t reliable in this multiverse - but they managed to make it to the Southern end of Timenzia with minutes to spare.

The Clock Tower of Power looked eerie from the outside, practically leaning and about to fall into the ocean. What did it look like inside if the outer look was chilling enough?

“Okay, step one,” Xena sighed. “Fix the clock. Step two, keep the bomb from getting in - or, if it’s already there, then dismantle it.”

Xander’s entire face went blank. “None of us know how to do that,” he piped up.

Xena shrugged, rushing to the big brass doors of the tower. “Improvise,” she said, kicking the doors open.

To say the place was haunting had to be a understatement. Cogs, wires and pipes hung from the ceiling. Steps were dilapidated, beyond the point of use. And the entire floor was littered with splinters, nails, shards of glass and other odds and ends. But beyond it all, on the far wall, was a glowing, golden orb - with a lot of wear and tear put on it.

“The source,” Xena muttered, tiptoeing her way through all of the damage.

The place shook with each step the members of the team took; their hearts shaking with the building.

“This isn’t a regular clock,” Loralei muttered, staring at the glowing core.

Xena snapped her fingers, kneeling down on her knees and peering up at it. “Tools,” she muttered. “And I have a feeling we can’t duct tape this together and say voila.”

Fearlessly, she reached in, her hand dissolving through the orb and her other one catching a wrench that had been tossed to her. The gooey yellow substance dripped down, making her gag. Obviously, this wasn’t the type of oil she was used to working with.

“Should one of us keep a lookout?” Xander spoke up, his new companion now whirring itself to sleep in his arms.

Xena rolled her eyes. “I highly doubt they’re gonna find where to go, they’re probably lost or,”

“Think again, Zeroes,”

A soft swear slipped past Xena’s lips, but she didn’t cease in her working.

Swaggering in through the open entrance, Rippen made quite the classy entrance - especially with now two minions to show off instead of one. As expected, that only boosted his flamboyance and ego.

“Now, I don’t want any confrontation with a bunch of children, so,” He held up a bundle of dynamite, which had been doodled on. However, this didn’t phase his edgy and triumphant aura. “Step away from the power source of the Clock Tower of Power and I won’t drop this bomb. You’ve got two minutes to make your choice,”

And yes, true to his word, the timer on the bomb was ticking down from 2:00 to 1:59, 1:58, 1:57…

With her hands still stuck and at work in the source, Xena simply nodded at her sister - and Loralei edged towards Xander, just giving him a look that said everything; it screamed  _ go _ . No one, not even the ones pulling a plan out of nowhere, could fathom what was going on. It was all going on in one big blur.

Snatching a pair of pliers from her back pocket, Loralei pointed them at Sheridan. “Let’s dance,” she hissed.

“I do enjoy a nice waltz,” Sheridan mused, stepping forward and unsheathing a small sword from her side.

Loralei gulped, grabbing a long screwdriver as well. “What a shame,” she rebuked. “I prefer to tango,”

Sheridan lunged, and Loralei ducked, rolling across the floor, hopping to her feet swiftly. She dodged the jabs at her, leaning forward with the pliers open and grabbing a loose end of the other girl’s jacket, yanking her in. Sheridan shrieked, catching her weapon with her free hand and attempting to maneuver it. Meanwhile, Xander seemed to be pulling off two distractions at once - siccing his new Bot buddy on Rippen, having ZJ3 snap and bite at the villain’s ankles and reaching for the bomb. And as the Bot did it’s job, Xander dashed out of the building, hopping into the enemy’s mode of transport.

It resembled a golf cart, and the keys were in. It was worth a shot. He pressed on a pedal he assumed was the gas, skidding away.

“ _ No! _ ” Rippen yelled in anguish. “Ugh, what good is it anymore?!”

His gaze dodged all around, watching his daughter battle with the one twin - who managed to always be a step ahead, damn it all. And of course Larry would be running out, chasing after their vehicle … but the other girl, anxious as Rippen had ever seen her, was wriggling like a worm on a hook as she tried her hardest to fix the source.

Ah.

There was his open.

He kicked the Bot out of his way, shuffling through the rubble and making his way over to the source.

“Leia!” Xena shrieked. “The pliers!”

“I’m kind of in the middle of something here-”

“ _ Now! _ ”

The pliers flew across the room, skidding along the floor, just inches within Xena’s grasp - only for them to be kicked away by her nemesis.

Rippen had a sick, twisted grin on his face and he bent down, pretending to pout. “You really think you stood a chance against me?” he laughed. “I was beat by children before. I won’t let it happen again, by the offspring of my enemies no less,” He reached down, gripping Xena by the collar of her jacket and yanking her up off the floor. “What? You think they’re better than your mother and father? They had luck on their side, child. What do you have?”

Xena’s expression went blank and she stammered, gripping the wire snips in her hand. She was shaking to the very core, but managed to lunge in - grabbing a piece of Rippen’s skin on his arm and twisting it with the snips as she kicked the bomb from his grip, sending it flying out the window right above the source.

The splash of the bomb into the ocean was all that could be heard during a moment of silence, and then Xena gave a smirk that bestowed her victory.

“Skills,” she spat. “That’s what I got.”

Practically howling in pain, Rippen clutched his arm to his body and watched in fear as the teenage girl grabbed the pliers, sliding in one last cog. The whole room suddenly lit up, and the city was engrossed with the beauty and power yet again.

There was a clatter, and Xena smirked as she noticed her sister holding Sheridan in a headlock, the sword left forgotten on the floor.

The entire Clock Tower of Power was engulfed in light, restoring the building back to all of it’s glory.

“I think our work here is done,” Xena stood up, smiling proudly - despite feeling weary and covered in oil.

And it was. The blue glow surrounded her and her sister, and from out the window, it was clear to see their brother was joining them on the zap back home.

Zap one. Fulfilled.

The team instantly found themselves back on the zap pad, but they were surprised by the first thing they saw upon returning to the real world.

Their mother and father, sitting in the front row, side-by-side. As expected, their father had an unmistakable and irreplaceable smile stuck on his face. But all three of the kids were shocked to see their mother in tears, absolutely speechless.

None of them could even say anything, and as they each took an awkward step forward, their mother bolted out of her seat, rushing forward.

“I … I can’t believe it,” Sashi said breathlessly. “You three were amazing.”

The kids themselves were also at a loss for words. Xena, radiating confidence. Xander, giving a humble aura. Loralei, smiling bashfully and blushing. They couldn’t even believe what they had just done. They had won. They did a mission - went through with something they had only dreamed about.

Penn finally stood up, walking over and his proud smile didn’t fade in the slightest. “I think what your mother is trying to say is that you all showed you’re beyond capable of this,” he said. “And we’re so incredibly blessed to have you for our kids.”

“Aw, c’mon, Dad,” Xena laughed. “Don’t make it sappy.”

She looked at both of her siblings, and they all shared smiles.

Zap one.  _ A success. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh this chapter was so much fun to write  
> and I can't wait to do more w these nerds
> 
> Anyway feedback is encouraging c:


	9. {viii.} (un)limited orbit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before life goes on (and love within the family is secured).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just some calm before the storm tbh
> 
> enjoy

Rippen was internally screaming, extremely close to outwardly, as he zapped back with his own team. How? How could the fates keep doing this to him? Children. Foolish children with too much luck on their side, continuing to beat him over and over again - everytime he thought that he got ahead, he was shoved back. Always within reach, but not quite.

“This is sarcastic clapping,” Phil said from behind the counter, slowly clapping. “You were close, though.”

Ignoring the droll comment, Rippen stormed out of Fish Stick on a Stick, getting into the car and slamming the door behind him. In fact, the whole vehicle shook as he got in, but what did that matter? He had every right to be angry.

Fifteen years. Fifteen years of wishing, waiting, hoping he could triumph over those brats.

And for what? For them to slink their way around his perfect, cunning plan.

Pursing his lips and pausing for a moment, Rippen drove a fist into the steering wheel - letting the horn echo through the serene suburb. He slammed on it a few more times before his husband and daughter emerged from the headquarters, smiling and laughing despite it all. At least, during the end of the day, Rippen had them. Always there for him, supporting his devilish ways and even helping … in their own ways.

Sheridan slid in the backseat, as Larry rode shotgun, and they sped off the second they were all in.

“Pops?”

Rippen tried to release the tension in him, if only for a second. “Yes?” he said, slightly turning his head to look at his daughter.

Fire in her brown eyes, Sheridan seemed untouchable, like always. “We’ll get them next time,” she declared, with utmost confidence.

Her radiant smile was almost infectious. Almost.

“Don’t get your hopes up too high, Sheridan,” Rippen said. “The Zeroes are crafty. Always have been,”

Since his early days. Since he was a teen and followed his older sister like a puppy, the two of them new to this whole thing. Him and Vlurgen, who had been gone for years since her big victory. When did he start, come to think of it? He was a little older than Penn’s parents … since then. He had been battling that family for three generations now. And they just wouldn’t quit - so neither would he.

He didn’t even notice it, but Rippen’s knuckles were going white as he gripped the steering wheel as they waited at a traffic light. He couldn’t help but perk up a little when Larry reached out, taking the hand that was within reach-

-and cue the rant.

“You know, handsome, you should really think about seeing a manicurist, your nails have had such neglect lately,” Larry mused. “I mean, between the art and the part-time villainy is enough, but stress also has such a big impact on it - and I’m not saying you’re stressed, but you’re always frowning and that’s just you, y’know? Anyway, what was I saying?”

Rippen sighed. He was numb to the rants by now. “Something about a manicurist?” he mumbled.

Larry’s brow furrowed. “Really? Was I? Because I don’t know any, and you know me, sweetcheeks, I know everyone in Middleburg and they know me,” He went on, and on,  _ and on _ , as per the usual.

Sheridan and Rippen’s sighs in unison were no longer timed; they were coincidental now.

It was an odd routine. But this was theirs.

 

\---

 

The night hadn’t exactly been long, but it wasn’t short either. After a quick dinner of leftovers, the kids had been sent to bed … that was around ten. Xander found himself sitting up in bed, staring at the spaceship alarm clock on his bedside.

12:59 just clicked over to 1:00.

He had been up for hours, and he wasn’t sure why.

He felt … empty. But he also felt good. It was weird. Maybe he was just tired.

Xander slid his way across the hardwood floor, cracking open his bedroom door and peering out. He took the chance, heading to the kitchen and flipped on the light. He tried to be quick and remain unnoticed, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge-

-but a sudden click and shuffling nearly caused him to freeze like a deer in the headlights.

“Mom?” he said, nearly jumping out of his skin as he noticed his mother come in through the back door. She was tired. She was worn-out. At the end of her rope. Decked out in her police officer get-up again, she looked like she was about to quit any minute now.

Sashi winced at the kitchen light, and gave a small wave at her son. “They called me in for last minute backup,” she whispered. “I forgot my car keys.”

“And your tag,” Xander added, picking up his mother’s name tag from the small shelf below the cupboards.

_ Chief S.Kobayashi  _ glinted in the pale lighting of the kitchen, and Sashi gave a nod as she took it from her son’s hand. However, she noticed him linger a little and she was tired, but not that much to ignore the fact her son - her twelve, soon to be thirteen, year old son - was clutching a long-forgotten stuffed animal. Something was up. Sliding her pager out from her back pocket, Sashi typed out a quick message to one of her fellow officers before staring down her youngest child.

“Are you uncomfortable with the missions?” she asked.

“What?” Xander blurted out.

“I’m not an idiot, Xander,” Sashi said. “You’re never up this late and I haven’t seen you with that,” She pointed at the stuffed toy in his arms. “Since you were scared to death of starting middle school.”

Xander stammered for a moment, hiding his prized possession behind his back. “I - I’m not scared,” he admitted. “I … I like it. I really do. I just feel empty now that I’m not there, you know?”

Sashi raised an eyebrow, adjusting her glasses. “So you’re upset,” she deadpanned.

There wasn’t a hint of hesitation or pause as Xander shook his head. “I liked it there,” he beamed. “I wasn’t scared at all, even when the crash happened. It was cool, it was fun,” He stopping for a moment, bringing his stuffed animal back around and clutching it close. “Is it weird to feel sad … or, I don’t know, maybe confused now that I’m back?”

He noticed his mother’s hand hesitate a little as she reached out to him, gently rubbing him on the arm.

Sashi managed a small smile. “It’s a side effect,” she said simply. “You get such a rush from the multiverses and you come back, it’s a little … off. But it’s nothing to worry about.” Her eyes crinkled a little as her smile grew. “Besides, you’ll be back come Monday.”

Xander nodded excitedly. “Yeah,” he piped up. “Do you know what world we’re going to next?”

“I’ll put a good word in for the one with the giant monsters,” Sashi assured, easily brushing her son’s hair out of his face. “That one’s always been your favorite, right?”

“It’s tied with Top Dragon World,” Xander said.

“Okay,” Sashi sighed. “So you’re alright?”

With a shy smile plastered on his expression, Xander dove in for a hug - surprising his mother a little. Nonetheless, Sashi softly laughed, returning the embrace for a few moments. He really was still her baby; so oblivious and naive and good. She sighed before letting him go, and smiling at him.

“Get some sleep, okay?” she murmured.

Xander nodded. “Stay safe,” he said as his mother headed out the back door.

Sashi gave a two finger salute, letting the screen door swish behind her as she disappeared into the night. The kitchen light was left on until her police car rolled out of the driveway, and it was then when Xander turned everything off, took his water and headed upstairs.

Whatever his sisters were doing arguing at one in the morning was beyond him…

 

\----

 

“I mean, this could just be a puberty thing,”

“This is  _ not  _ a puberty thing,”

Xena stared at herself in the mirror, squishing her face and looking for any signs that something might be off. Nope. Just plain old usual self. Same went for her sister. They stood side-by-side in the bathroom, eyeing each other and then facing the mirror.

“Seriously,” Xena added. “Feeling numb, tingly, fizzy and weird all over wasn’t in any of the books.”

“Well, what else is supposed to be?” Loralei retorted.

There was a pause, before Xena turned to look at her sister. “Slap me,” she said.

Due to exhaustion, it took a minute for Loralei to process the statement. And when she did, she had no energy to properly react. “I don’t feel like it right now,” she retorted. “You don’t deserve it yet.”

“Oh, come on, Leia, it’s for science,” Xena argued.

“I’m not gonna hit you for no reason,”

“You’re fat,”

Loralei rolled her eyes. “Excuse me, it’s called curvy and I rock the look,” she said. “Try a little harder.”

Xena whined, weariness clearly affection her as well. “Grandma likes me better than you,” She paused when her twin raised an eyebrow, as a silent challenge to ask  _ ‘do you really wanna argue over that’ _ \- “Fine. You remember your first girlfriend, Ella? I hated her,”

A smack echoed in the bedroom, and Xena let out a whoop.

She rubbed her cheek for a few seconds, then let out a groan. “What the hell is going on?!”

“Shut up,” Loralei hissed. “We probably already woke up Mom and Dad,”

“Good!” Xena argued, stomping out of the bathroom. “Maybe they can tell us about … about _ this _ !” She gestured to her whole body, and left the bedroom, hollering for their parents. She didn’t even notice her sister right on her heels, muttering things she decided not to tune into.

Xena’s fist was just about to slam into the door of their parents’ bedroom, when their father poked his head out.

“What are you girls doing up so late?” Penn mumbled.

Poking her sister in the arm, Xena spoke up; “I have no idea how to say it without making it weird,”

Loralei yawned, rolling her head on her shoulders. “Can we talk to Mom about this?” she asked.

“Your mother just left to crack a case,” Penn sighed. “Look, if this is a girl thing, I get it, I know about that stuff, being a dad and all,” He trailed off when both of his girls shook their heads. “What is it?”

“You look like garbage when you wear orange,” Xena mumbled to her sister-

-and as expected, she was slapped again. Yet unfazed.

Frowning heavily, Loralei nodded at her twin. “We’re numb,” she said. “To everything. And kind of, fizzy, too? I don’t know,” The last few words came out in a whine, and she rubbed her eyes. “I just wanna go to bed and ignore this. But this one here,”

Penn hesitated. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “That’s a side effect of the MUT. You’re gonna feel that way for a few weeks,”

Both girls paused, and Loralei pointed at her father. “What else is there?” she asked.

“Nothing major,” he admitted. “It might stunt your growth. Did that to your mother. You can’t carry any metal, like money or whatever, or you’ll get electrocuted. You might go through some mood swings too,” Penn tapped his chin, giving a shrug. “That’s it, really. And getting no sleep won’t make it any better,”

Xena nodded, holding both hands up in defense. “Alright, fine,” she grumbled.

She headed back to the bedroom with her sister, and side-eyed her.

“By the way,” she piped up. “You kicked ass earlier today… yesterday… whenever,”

Loralei managed a weary nod. “Tough stuff, Xen,” she mumbled, falling face-first onto her bed.

Xena chuckled, flopping into the mess of blankets she slept in and closed her eyes. It had been a long day, but she wasn’t as exhausted as she thought. She felt exhilarated, and excited. One day of many.

 

\----

 

Classical music played quietly in the extravagant bedroom. Sheridan hummed along as she laid back on her canopy bed, unfazed by the hissing and slithering she heard and saw. Her arm was suddenly constricted ever-so-slightly, but it was a good sort of numb. A smile crept on her face when she lifted her limb, making kissing noises to summon the creature to look at her.

“Oh, Minx,” she sighed, gently patting her pet snake on the head. “Being bad feels good. Is it wrong that I think it’s right?”

As if the sneaky serpent understood her, it tiled it’s head.

A chuckle escaped Sheridan. “I’m talkin’ in riddles,” she muttered, her hybrid accent wavering. “But I like it. I’ve trained for this, and dammit, I’m gonna be the best villain there ever was,” She giggled when the snake’s tongue darted out across her nose. “Just gimme time,”

She yawned, closing her eyes and letting her mind go blank.

No dreams, no nightmares. Just ambience.

 

\----

 

Middleburg was quiet. The night was dwindling into twilight, but little did the town know a new age was coming about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again any and all feedback is encouraging :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated!


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